Public Relations Specialist

Overview

General

Purpose:

The Public Relations Specialist plays a critical role in supporting the firm's strategic communications function by executing comprehensive public relations initiatives that enhance Holland & Hart's external visibility, elevate brand recognition, and strengthen market position to support revenue generation. This role coordinates media relations, identifies thought leadership opportunities, and oversees awards and rankings programs to grow brand visibility through earned media, strategic positioning, and industry recognition.

Media Relations

• Serve as primary liaison with the firm's national PR agency to coordinate and schedule media opportunities; manage all other inbound media requests while developing and maintaining professional relationships with media contacts and internal stakeholders.
• Leverage AI tools and technologies to enhance media monitoring capabilities, identify trending topics and opportunities, and streamline content analysis for more strategic decision-making and efficient workflow management.
• Review and analyze daily media coverage and public relations activity; maintain internal media outcomes tracking system documenting coverage outcomes; review and circulate media clips and coverage summaries to relevant attorneys and stakeholders.
• Maintain comprehensive media databases for geographic markets, practice areas, industry groups, and individual attorneys to support targeted outreach efforts while demonstrating understanding of legal industry dynamics, trends, and competitive landscape.
• Distribute press releases and announcements to appropriate media outlets and coordinate media distribution strategies, ensuring PR activities connect to broader business objectives and strategic priorities.
• Monitor firm news on media and social media platforms and analyze trends to identify new positioning opportunities, utilizing ability to identify compelling story angles and understanding media landscape dynamics.
• Anticipate potential issues arising from media activity and escalate crisis communications concerns to senior management; assist in developing responsive messaging strategies using outstanding verbal and written communication skills.

Thought Leadership Opportunities

• Collaborate with leadership to identify opportunities for positioning attorneys as industry experts on practice and sector-specific topics, working effectively with cross-functional teams including attorneys, business development, and marketing professionals.
• Analyze editorial calendars of business, regional, trade, and legal publications to identify opportunities for attorney commentary, authored content, and expert positioning while demonstrating strong organizational abilities to manage multiple deadlines and competing priorities.
• Research industry trends and emerging topics to proactively recommend thought leadership opportunities that align with firm strategic priorities, leveraging AI analytics to identify content gaps and competitive positioning opportunities.
• Pitch content abstracts and proposals to secure media placements that raise visibility of the firm, individual attorneys, practice areas, and industry expertise, ensuring alignment with broader business objectives and adapting messaging for diverse audiences.

Awards, Rankings & Directory Management

• Maintain comprehensive calendar of practice group, industry group, and market-related awards and rankings opportunities, demonstrating precision in managing award deadlines and strong organizational abilities.
• Communicate award deadlines and requirements to Business Development teams and coordinate information gathering from attorneys and practice groups.
• Identify strategic award opportunities and recommend nomination strategies; collaborate with Communications team on developing initial drafts and coordination of final submissions while working effectively across teams.
• Coordinate updates to legal directories and award profiles to maintain current information on firm attorneys and other necessary information with attention to detail.
• Track award submission outcomes and analyze results to strengthen future nomination strategies, connecting tactical activities to strategic business priorities.
• Support award submission processes by gathering information and coordinating with attorneys and practice groups to meet deadlines, managing multiple awards calendars and competing priorities effectively.
• Perform additional duties and tasks assigned, demonstrating flexibility and a commitment to supporting the firm’s overall objectives.

• Communication – Understands the importance of and demonstrates verbal, written, and non-verbal communications.
• Customer/Client Experience – Creates a consistent and exceptional experience for others, whether directly to external clients/customers or indirectly through internal support, that elevates the overall perception of the firm.
• Job Knowledge & Technical Skill – Demonstrates an understanding of objectives, duties,…